Donate or Resell

The average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing per year (shown here), according to EPA estimates. Most of these items could be reused or recycled.

These organizations can help you reduce your impact on the planet.

Clothes, shoes, linens, and more

Damaged clothes and linens aren’t garbage anymore. Up to 95 percent of clothes, shoes, and linens thrown in our garbage could have been reused or recycled. Thrift stores, drop boxes, and others will take all of your clothes, shoes, and linens for reuse or recycling – even damaged goods – in any condition except wet, mildewed, or contaminated with hazardous material.

Seattle Public Utilities has partnered with King County to create the Threadcycle program, which helps decrease your impact on the planet by reusing or recycling your unwanted clothes, shoes, and linens. Worn-out, ripped, and mismatched items are now collected and turned into new products such as carpet padding, insulation, and wiping rags. Learn more about what happens to these items through Threadcycle.

City-Wide Information

Top Requests

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is comprised of three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility. The Water Utility provides more than 1.3 million customers in King County with a reliable water supply; the Drainage and Wastewater Utility collects and disposes of sewage and storm water; and the Solid Waste Utility collects and disposes of recycling, yard waste, and residential and commercial garbage. All three utilities strive to operate in a cost-effective, innovative and environmentally responsible manner. SPU also houses the Engineering Services line of business, which serves both City departments and outside agencies, providing efficient, customer-oriented engineering services that assist clients with replacing, improving, and expanding facilities with the least possible disruption to the community.